7 September 2018.
MCQUEEN ****
About the rebel British fashion designer, this brilliant documentary shows the span of a career, the span of a character and the span of creation – in it’s purest form – from the gut, from complete passion and from inner turmoil.
Alexander McQueen came from London’s East End, with little education but an inherent drive that put him on top of the fashion world at an early age. He committed suicide at 40, on the eve of his beloved mother’s funeral. The film is both sad and illuminating, base and baroque, gentle and daring, like his work.
It shows the trajectory of a life that starts with such eager, innocent ambition and builds up to what we are seeing more and more of in our society – the fact that power and money can often come with a hard downfall, especially for those who cannot handle the pressures of celebrity and glory.
The clarity and vision of the two directors, Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui, bring it all together in this tender, perceptive homage to a fleeting talent. Even if you are not into fashion, this film will grip you and astound you.
PHOTO DE FAMILLE *** (vo French)
A sweet film by Cecilia Rouaud about a dispersed family coming together for their grandfather’s funeral. There is the dazed grandmother who wants terribly to go back to her hometown, two sisters who don’t always understand each other, a constantly depressed brother, and their divorced parents with their own problems and hangups – a normal slice of life…
Vanessa Paradis is very touching as one of the sisters trying hard to be a good mother, while the always dour Jean-Pierre Bacri is excellent as the bewildered father of them all. Now what to do about dear Grandma?
SEARCHING FOR INGMAR BERGMAN **1/2 (vo German, French, English)
Here is a look into the life, loves and work of one of the giants of cinema history, who was a role model for so many other directors.
For the centenary of his birth in 1918, German director Margarethe von Trotta goes in search of this exceptional Swedish creator of deep, dark, innovative films starting from the mid-1940s.
Informative and interesting, it does not quite measure up to the greatness of its subject.
(Showing at the Grutli cinemas.)
Superb **** Very Good *** Good ** Mediocre * Miserable – no stars
By Neptune
Neptune Ravar Ingwersen reviews film extensively for publications in Switzerland. She views 4 to 8 films a week and her aim is to sort the wheat from the chaff for readers.
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